Shawn McDaniel

Shawn McDaniel is a fourteen-year-old boy who has cerebral palsy, or CP. This means that a tiny blood vessel in Shawn’s brain erupted when he was born and eliminated his muscle control. Because of this, Shawn cannot walk, speak, feed himself, or even use the restroom on his own. He completely relies on those around him for care.

This does not bother Shawn much, however. Instead, he stays optimistic about life, enjoying the things he sees, places he goes with his family, and the emotions he feels as a result of life. For Shawn, life was completely bearable until he becomes attuned to the idea that his father might be trying to kill him. Shawn narrates these events to the reader through his thoughts. He details events that might imply that his father is indeed thinking about killing his own son. Shawn is conflicted about how...